The Media Advocacy Coalition responds to the decision of the Court of Appeals in the case of the founder of the Formula TV station.
The decision by the Court of Appeals on 21 March 2023 may threaten the viability of Formula TV, a station with a critical editorial policy, and increase editorial pressure on journalists.
On 21 March 2023, the Court of Appeal ordered the founder and owner of 51% of the Formula TV company, former Defence Minister Davit Kezerashvili, to pay approximately EUR 5 million. This decision is based on the ruling of the Supreme Court against Davit Kezerashvili, into the so-called “military drills case”. It is important to note that there are many question marks in this case, and in the same case, the acquittal was issued by the City Court and the Court of Appeals, which was overturned by the Supreme Court in 2021.
This is not the first court case against a critical media owner. The court is also considering the case of a family member of the owner of TV Pirveli. Also, Nika Gvaramia, the founder and co-owner of Mtavari Arkhi TV, is ain prison.
Attempts by the authorities to put pressure on the media not only worsen the media environment in Georgia, but also deepen polarisation. This is particularly worrying in the context of the European Union’s process to grant Georgia candidate status, as depolarisation and ensuring media freedom are among the priorities set by the EU for Georgia to receive the candidate status.
The Media Advocacy Coalition is actively following this case and once again calls on the authorities not to use the case against Davit Kezerashvili to persecute critical media outlets.
